Driving mechanism for knitting machines



A. E; sensors DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filyed g- 19. 1921 5 Shets-Sheet 1 gi yla I I I '3 v/5 IN VE N TOR E. Bea-don, Gu-u,

A T TORNEYS I A. E. BERDQN DRIVIHG MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES mm Aug. 19. 1921 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

\ ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 26. 1924. 1,506,151 7 A. E. BERDofi DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed 19. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTQR.

ATTORNEY;

1,506,151 A. E. BERDOIQ' DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 19 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 .5 5 20 6 I 8/ k a7 88 E 9 0 I as 's I 1 L, 1' II I m H L I I 36 E36 ,7 E

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A.E.BERDON DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 19. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 a jg? Y S Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,506,151 PATENT QFFICE.

ALBERT E. sermon, on nnrrtorr, MICHIGAN, assron'on, BY MESNE assrenr'an'ivTs, To JAMES K. LANNING, or FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

DRIVING MEGHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed August 19, 1921.

T all LU/72,0772, -Z' may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. Beacon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented an Improvement in Driving Mechanism for Knitting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification; like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to driving mechanism and particularly to driving mechanism for the rotating element of a circular knitting machine.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, 1 have disclosed one embodiment of my invention and an adaptation. thereof to rotary knitting machines, in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a circular knitting machine with which my invention is cooperatively combined to effect the driving of the cam ring or cylinder thereof;

Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a detail pertaining to certain oiling means;

Fig. 2 is a plan view representing the knitting head and the drivim means of my invention operatively related thereto;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts Shown in Fig. 2 but in non-driving or inactive position;

Fig. at is a vertical sectional view taken through the knitting head and the driving disk of the driving mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section upon the line 5 5 of Fig. i;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a slide or member constituting a part of and asso ciated with the driving means;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a part of an operating lever or member of said driving means;

8 is a detail in vertical section and in elevation of a brake that may be employed in the practice of my invention; and

Fig. 9 is detail in plan of another brake that may be employed in the, practice of my invention.

In my co-pending application Serial No. i93,637, I have disclosed a circular knitting machine, the head whereof is represented in vertical section in Fig. 1- of this applica- Serial No. 493,638.

tion. lVhile my invention may be adapted for driving other knitting heads or for driving other mechanisms or rotatable members, my invention is of peculiar importance for the driving of the rotatable member of a circular knitting machine adapted to operate at a very high speed, as, for example, from 600 to 1500 revolutions per minute, and desirably 1000 revolutions or over, in the production of a continuous knitted tube of very small diameter or cross section.

I will not herein describe in detail the knitting machine, but only with suflicient particula it-y to disclose the application of my invention thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the base of the mechanism is indi cated at 1 in Fig. 1. Uprising there-from are a series of posts or standards 2, 2, two of which are shown in Fig. 1. At a suitable height upon the post or standard 2 is supported a bed 3 in a vertical opening wherein is fixedly positioned a needle carrier 4 and a bearing member or sleeve 5 spaced at its upper portion from said needle support sufficiently to receive the rotatable cam cylinder 6 and its attached cam 7. Attached to the upper end of said cam cylinder 6 is a sleeve like member 8 somewhat spaced wherefrom is the sleeve like portion 9 having a peripheral face 10, to which the rotational driving force is adapted to be applied in accordance with my invention. T he said sleeve like portion 9 at the base of its driving face 10 is provided with a horizontal flange 11 with which, as most clearly shown in Fig. 9, is adapted to cooperate a stationary stop 1:2 carried by a bolt or screw 13 securing it to the framing of the machine. TV hen the driving disk of my invention is removed from operative relation with the face 10 and flange 11 of the sleeve 9 the stop 12. prevents the withdrawal or undue elevation of said sleeve member 9, but stop 12 itself may be removed by removal of the bolt or screw 13, or it may be turned by loosening the bolt 13.

The needle cylinder 4 is provided with any suitable number of needles 14: arranged in a circular series, and in a manner not herein necessary to disclose oil or like lubricant is circulated between the relatively rotating parts, the oil being supplied through a tube 15 shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 and carried by member 15 shown in Figs. 1

and 1*, said oil being received from any suitable source, as, for example, a sight feed lubricator 16 shown in Fig. 1.

The rotating cam cylinder 6 is supported without gyration or wobbling by reason of the axial bearing presented by the member 5 and by reason of the end thrust bearing afforded by the bed plate 3.

While the knitting head itself may be shifted or moved into and out of driving relation with the driving means, Idesirably shift the driving mechanism into and out of driving relation with the rotatable men ber of the otherwise stationary knitting head. In Carrying out this feature of my invention, it mount upon one of the posts or standards 2 of the mechanism a lever 17 which, as'indicated by Figs. 2 and 3, is substantially horizontally supported for movement to and from the knitting head which I have indicated as a whole by the numeral 18 in Figs. 2 and 3.

Upon said lever 17 is supported the driving disk indicated generally at 19 in Figs. 2 and 3, and shown in sectional detail in Fig. 4. Said driving disk comprises a pulley 20 having a groove 21 receiving a driving belt 22 passing about and driven from any suitable driven part, such, forexample, as the driven member of a small electric motor,whereby said pulley is driven desirably at a very high rate of speed as hereinbefore indicated. The said pulley desirably has leather or fibre disks 23, secured thereto by one or more screws 24, said pulley being supported for rotation upon an axial stud or stationary support 25 threaded at its lower reduced end 26 into an opening in the lever arm 17 and wherein it is held by the nut 27. The upper end of the stud 25 has an axial opening 28 threaded at its upper end as indicated at 29 to receive the lower threaded end 30 of an oil receptacle indicated at 31 whereby oil is fed or delivered into the space 28 from which it passes outwardly through radial passages 32 into the space between the outer surface of the stud 25 and the inner surface of the pulley 20. The oil works its way to the lower end of the sleeve like prolongation 33 of the pulley 20'and is wiped therefrom into an uprighttube 34 fixedly supportedin the lever 17 and having a'closed upper end 35 excepting for the cut away edge 36 whereinto oil passes from the lower end of the driving pulley 20, and then into the trough 36 for conveyance into a receptacleor elsewhere, it being'noted that the wiping of the Oil is effected by the upper end of the tube 34. The oil introduced into the space 28 of the stationary stud 25 passes out through the series of horizontal holes 32 and thence down between the outer surface of the stud 25 and the adjacent sleeved projection of the pulley 20 and also upwardly from said horizontal holes 32 to the horizontal thrust sur face 37 of the driving pulley 20, thence outward to fill-the space 38 between the upper end of the pulley 20 and the upper end of said stud 25, from which space it drains downwardly through the inclined groove 39 to the said horizontal holes 32 so as either to recirculate as described or to pass down between the stationary stud 25 and the sleeved extension of the pulley 20 to be wiped off into the tube 34. The chamber 38 is closed by a cap 40 threaded into position. I

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the driving disk 19, the construction of which has been set forth in detail, is adapted to be moved bodily into and out of frictional driving relation with the peripheral face 10 of the sleeve 9 so as to rotate the latter at the indicated or other proper speed.

Inasmuch as the rotating parts of the knitting mechanism are desirably driven at a very high speed and inasmuch as it is very desirable that the product issuing from the machine be kept at all times under proper tension and even when starting up the rotation of the knitting mechanism, 1 have provided means whereby'the lever 17 may be manually moved with its driving disk 19 so as to bring it gently and with the desired pressure gradually applied, into frictional driving relation with the knitting head indicated generally at 18. In this manner it is possible instantly to release" the driving disk from driving relation with the knitting head manually if it be found that the product is not maintained under proper tension or there be a defective thread condition or other trouble. 7 v

Furthermore as disclosed more fully in my co-pending applications Serial Nos. 497,402 and 493,639, I have provided means whereby the drivin disk may bereleased from driving relation with the knitting head upon the occurrence of thread fault, such, for example, as thread breaker the occurrence of a knot or undue tension or slackness or in the event that theknitted product be delivered with undue or too little tension. I have so constructed and applied my mechanism that the said stopping means, which desirably are electrical, are not brought into functioning relation until the lever 17"with its driving disk 19 has been brought manually into operative or driving relation to the knitting head 18; In this manner I; am enabled as heretofore stated manually to release the driving disk 19 just as it is brought into driving relation with the knitting head 18 if a defectivecondition of the parts he found.

In order to accomplish the result to which I have just referred, 1 preferably provide the following mechanism. Upon the free end of the lever 17 is fixedly secured a handle 41 by means of screws 42. Said handle which desirably is relatively thin in vertical section is provided with a. recess 43, the walls of which are adapted to slide under the head of a screw 44 acting as a guide. The opposite edge of the lever 17 is herein shown as provided with a recess 45 adapted to take against a pin 46 to which is secured one end of a coiled spring 47, the opposite end whereof is connected to a pin or lug 48 extending from a. slide 49 hereinafter more fully referred to, the function of said coiled spring 47 being to move said slide 49 toward the right viewing Figs, 2 and 3, when the sheets thereof are held upright, the spring 47 being normally under compression.

The slide 49 is mounted upon a screw 50 which is received in a longitudinal slot 51 of said slide 49, which slide also has a rocking movement about said screw 59, a pivot, upon the occurrence of faultin the thread or product and the closing of the electric circuit of the stop mechanism.

The slide 49 is at least partially formed of steel and is provided with an end 52 constituting an armature of a magnet indicated at 53, the coil 54 of said magnet being grounded as indicated at 55 in one of the metallic posts or upright 2 on the machine. The opposite end of the coil 54 extends to a binding screwy 56 with which is associated and in contact a plate or strip 57 of metal constitutingone terminal. The corresponding terminal 58 is a light metallic plate or strip having a. free end 59, the opposite end thereof being in contact with a binding post 60 from which extends the wire 61.

The slide 49 is provided with a member or projection 62 of some suitable insulating material, and which is so positioned that when the slide 49 is moved to the left viewing Figs. 2 and 3, and into the position shown in Fig. 2, contact is made by and between the strips or plates 57. 58. lVhen, however, the slide 49 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the strips 5'7, 58 are out of contact and the circuit is broken.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 3, the slide 49 is provided with a shoulder 63 against which is adapted to take the corner 64 of the lever 17 when the latter has been moved by the handle 41 suiiiciently toward the right viewing Fig, 3 to bring the driving disk 19 into functioning relation with the knitting head 18. lVhen the parts have been moved into such position, the corner 64 of the lever 17 taking against said shoulder 68, the parts become positioned as shown in Fig. 2, contact being made between tie strips 57, 58, the slide 49 being held in such position against the tendency of the spring 47.

f desired and as shown in Figs. 2 and the slide 49 is provided with a set screw 65 by means of which the relation of the corner 64 to the shoulder 63 may be established or adjusted.

t will be understood that althou h the circuit is closed between the contacts 07, 58, it remains broken elsewhere until the occurrence of thread fault or fault in the tension of the product which is being taken up. lVhen the circuit is closed upon the occurr nce of thread fault, then the magnet 53 becomes energized and the armature 52 is drawn toward said magnet, the slide 49 rocking upon the screw 50 with the resultthat the shoulder 63 is released from the corner 64, and the lever 1. being released moves into the position shown in Fig. 3, thus withdrawing the driving disk 19 from the knitting head 18.

As shown in detail in Fig. 7, the handle 41 is provided with holes 66 to receive the screws 42. As shown most clearly in Fig. 6, the slide 49 is provided at its end opposite the armature 52 with an upstanding projection 6'? against which the thumb of the right hand of the operative may be pressed while one or more fingers of the same hand grasp the handle 41 whereby the lever 17 may be drawn from the position shown in Fig, 3 to that shown in Fig. 2, the slide 49 being moved to some extent manually if desired to aid in bringing the corner 64 of the lever 17 and the shoulder 63 of the slide 49 into engaging relation. As shown most clearly in Fig. 6 the slide 49 is provided with an upstanding pin 68 againstwhich the arm or projection 48 is drawn by the force of the spring 47.

In certain types or embodiments of my invention the knitted tube may be formed or produced about a core of wire, cord or other material. In certain cases where a core is employed the package thereof maybe r0- tated with the rotating part of the knitting head. In such cases or in other cases it may be desirable to employ a brake automatically engaging the rotatable member of the knitting head when the lever 17 moves into the non-functioning position shown in F For that purpose and as herein shown it desirablv mount upon a fixed stud or pin shown in Fig. 8 a lever, one arm 70 whereof has a braking face 71., the other arm 72 of said lever being adapted to be engaged by an upstanding pin 73 upon the lever 17, so that when said lever 17 is moved into its functioning position shown in Fig. 2, the pin 73 acting upon the lever arm 72 withdraws the brake 71 from braking relation with the rotatable member of the knitting head 18. A suitable spring 74 coiled about the stud 69 and bearing upon the lever arm 70 tends to move the lever arm 70 into functioning relation with the knitting head 18.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to A combination, a rotary knitting head, a driv-- be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in thefollowing claims.

Claims:

1. A knitting organization comprising in combination, a rotary knitting head, a driving disk therefor, a lever carrying said driving disk, an electrical stop motion including an electromagnet, a movable member carrying an armature, and means whereby said movable member is positioned by the move-- ment of said lever to drive said knitting head, and to bring said armature into posi tion Where it may be engaged by said electromagnet.

2. A knitting organization comprising in combination, a rotary knitting head, a driving disk therefor, a lever carrying said driving disk, an electrical stop motion including an electromagnet and a pair of contacts, a pivoted member having an armature which upon positioning of said pivoted member is itself positioned for subsequent energizat-ion by said electromagnet, and a part to close the circuit at said contacts, said movable member and lever having engaging formations for the purpose set forth.

a 3. A knitting organization comprising in ing disk therefor, a lever carrying said .driving disk, an electrical stop motion including an electromagnet and a pair of contacts, a manually movable member having swinging and sliding movements and carrying means to close the circuit at said contact, said lever and movable member being adapted to cooperate in establishing a circuit at said contact members.

4:. A knitting organization comprising a rotary knitting head, driving means there for external thereto, a lever carrying said driving means, a second movable member carrying an armature and which is potentially positioned by positioning said second movablemember, said lever and second movable member having formations which are engaged when said lever is in driving position, and an ele-ctromagnet to act upon said armature and to Withdraw said second movable member from engaging relation to said lever. V

-5. A knitting organization comprising a rotary knitting head, a driving disk eX- ternal thereto, a supporting lever for said driving disk, a movable member having an armature and which is potentially positioned by positioning said movable member, a stop motion and an electromagnet to act upon said armature, said lever and second movable member having engaging formations which are adapted to be disengaged when the electromagnet attracts said armature.

6. A knltting organization comprising a rotary head, driving. means external thereto, a movable support for said driving' tary driving disk therefor, a supporting lever for said disk, a brake for the knitting head, and means whereby the movement of said disk out of driving relation to the knitting head permits said brake. to act upon said knitting head.

9. A knitting organization comprising, in.

combination, a rotary knitting head, a dr1v ing disk therefor wholly external to the knitting head and adapted through engage V ment of its. periphery with the outer surface of the knitting head to drive the latter, a lever carrying said driving disk, electrical stopping means including a pair of contact -1ne1nbers, and a slide adapted to complete a circuit tl rough said contact members, said lever and slide having co-acting formations whereby thepositioning of said lever to drive the knitting head closes the circuit at said contact members.

10. A knitting organization comprising, in combination, a knitting head, a disk Wholly external to said knitting head and adapted to drive the same by engagement of its periphery'with the outer surface of the knitting head, a lever whereon said disk is mounted for movement into and out of driving relation with said knitting head,

and stopping means for the knitting head adapted to be rendered potentially active by movement of SillCl. lever to bring sald driving disk into driving relation with the knitting head.

1.1. A knitting organization comprising in combination, a knit-ting head, a. disk wholly external to said knitting head and adapted to drive the same by engagement of its periphery with the outer surface of the knitting head, a lever whereon said disk is mounted for movement into and out of driving relation with said knitting head, stop.- ping means associated With said knitting head, and means whereby the movement of the driving means into driving relation with the knitting head-places said stopping means in potential position.

12. A knitting organization comprising in combination, a knitting head, ardisk wholly external to said knitting head and adapted to drive the same by engagement of its said movable support to bring the disk and periphery With the outer surface of the knitthe driving head into driving relation also ting head, a lever Whereon said disk is places the stopping means in potential re- 10 mounted for movement into and out of drivlation.

5 ing relation with said knitting head, stop- In testimony whereof, I have signed my ping means associated With said knitting name to this specification. head, and means whereby the movement of ALBERT E. BERDON. 

